Sustainable Building Technical Manual - Etn-presco.net

■ Provide guidelines for building orientation and siting that take advantage of solaraccess and other natural features.■ Integrate sustainable siting and building principles into disaster redevelopment projects.WaterI M P L E M E N TATION ISSUES.By regulation, education, and example, local governments are preventing water pollution,boosting water efficiency, protecting native vegetation, and using rainwater andgraywater to meet water needs more resourcefully.Local governments are implementing ordinances governing water runoff from constructionand completed building sites to protect watersheds and the water quality of localcreeks, streams, and lakes. Through public construction projects, cities and counties arealso demonstrating to their communities that bioswales, semi-permeable pavement, andvegetative buffers can reduce non-point-source pollution.Aware that efficient water usage impacts utility costs, wastewater treatment, and thequality of local water resources, jurisdictions are also promoting implementation ofwater-efficiency measures in all buildings: residential, multifamily, institutional, andcommercial. Federal regulations have made indoor water-conserving fixtures, including1.6-gallon toilets and efficient water-flow devices, readily available through mostplumbing retailers; outdoor water conservation products are equally widespread. Localgovernments can recommend or require other water efficiency practices in their municipalprojects.Just as effective for cost-savings and the management of water resources are landscapingpractices that use water-conserving or native plants. Public construction projects inmany jurisdictions are educating residential and commercial builders about the use ofnative plants, plant-protection measures, and habitat preservation and restoration.Jurisdictions can compile an inventory of native plants to be used for public and privatelandscaping projects or direct builders to local nurseries or landscape architectsthat specialize in these plants.Rainwater and graywater collection, despite their technical simplicity, are less easilyimplementable, but no less effective, strategies for water conservation. Communitiesmay find these systems difficult to implement because of regulatory restrictions. Localgovernments can both provide examples of the effectiveness of these systems in publicprojects, and ensure that codes and permitting processes help, not hinder local buildersfrom trying these alternatives.A range of rainwater-collection systems, used for centuries in various forms, remain apractical option to collect water for irrigation and, in some communities, supply indoorwater usage, including drinking water. Storage tanks or cisterns can be purchased in varioussizes and colors and are available regionally.Graywater systems for surface and subsurface applications are in place in many ruraland in some urban areas. Many urban areas, however, may not allow installation ofgraywater systems, and if so, only as subsurface irrigation systems following specifichealth and usage regulations. Graywater systems can most easily be utilized duringnew construction, when separate collection and distribution lines can be installedmost cost-effectively.